White Liar
by loquaciouslethality
Summary: Definition: Changing a truth into something the enemy won't use against you. Example. Lie: I didn't care about Malfoy. Truth: I couldn't live without him. Hopefully he knew that as well, or else the lie would be in vain.
1. Chapter 1

**(a/n) **so, here's the deal. i haven't had *any* time to write recently. so, huge apologies. but my bestie re-introduced me to the amazingness that is tom felton and here is the result. enjoy, and don't forget to review!

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing. Seriously. Mrs. Rowling is the genius that created this world, I'm simply... borrowing it for a while. So, if you sue, all you're gonna get is a beaten up car, a cranky cat and a very, very hyper puppy.

**White Liar**

_by:_

LoquaciousLethality

In a train compartment, somewhere in the country side of England, a young lady was sitting in her seat, one leg tucked under her body, the other brought up to prop her elbow on. Her eyes watched unseeingly as the scenery flew by, the flatlands being replaced with gently rolling hills dotted with trees.

This wasn't her first time traveling on this particular train, but it was the first time she traveled without a group of people chattering away around her, the first time she traveled completely by herself. While it was nice to not have to block out all the silly giggling, she missed having the companionship of her friends during the long ride.

She couldn't find fault with any of them though. She didn't blame them for wanting to stay home with their families, to recover after the year long war. She didn't blame them for not wanting to venture out and risk meeting those who still thought the war was still waging. Where they had a choice though, she did not.

Her parents were safe in America, her homeland. Her Aunt Cassandra was in the Ministry, and was always gone, and she didn't want to impose on her friends, not after so many of them had lost so much.

The sound of footsteps had her lifting her head up off her palm, and looking towards the door. She watched silently as a figure walked by, shadow giving nothing away as to who it was. The footsteps faded into silence, one that was unusual for this train ride. She knew, even though this was only her second time riding, that it was loud and cheerful, full of friends seeing each other after the long summer. Now, however, that wasn't the case.

The few people who were on the Hogwarts Express weren't quite so cheerful. The few who were returning for their delayed final year had no choice but to be aboard, or were extremely dedicated to the school and all it stood for, even in war.

She was there for both reasons, she decided, turning back to the window. She had no choice, and she loved Hogwarts and what it stood for. It stood for Freedom, for Education, for Loyalty, for Strength and Honor.

It taught loyalty through hardship, it stood tall as a pillar of strength and honor when everything else was being torn apart. It taught honor as well, in dealing with others fairly. It was a tower of education on a lazy world, when everyone thought everything should be easy. And it was as free as Freedom should be. But that freedom was slowly dwindling.

Long gone were the days were you could chose who you could associate with. Gone were the days where you could walk down the street and not have an Auror search you for any Dark Arts.

Gone were the days were you could choose your own husband, she thought somewhat bitterly, eyeing the innocent piece of parchment she had received before the train had left the station.

The new Minister of Magic, Mr. Kingsley Shacklebolt, had enacted the Marriage Law, citing concern for their abnormally low population numbers.

Basically, every witch and wizard from the age of seventeen up to age twenty one was to marry the person the Ministry chose for them. By the end of a year, the couple was expected to either have a child, or be expecting.

Running a hand through her hair, and thus dislodging the clip that was holding her bangs back, she sighed, going over parts of the letter in her mind.

Mainly the part where they carefully forgot to mention the name of the man she was supposed to be marrying, only saying that she would be getting a follow up letter with the date of joining.

Feeling the last strand of her strained temper breaking, she reached up behind her, her fingers closed in around worn wood and pulled. Her long hair that had been held up in a bun by her wand was sent tumbling down her shoulders, and with a glare and a flick, the offending piece of paper was in the air and on fire, quickly burning into nothing-ness.

Her temper sated, she unfolded her legs and stretched them out in front of her, the toes of her worn shoes easily resting on the opposite bench.

She didn't mind being guided through life. She didn't even mind the occasional bossy person who popped up here and there, but to have someone who didn't know her from Helga tell her she had to marry some person she was sure she didn't know from Godric irked her. To have that last bit of freedom of choice be ripped out from under her feet was enough to make even her easy going temper flare into a rage.

She was expected to always be nice, cheerful and helpful. Not a problem, since she liked being nice, cheerful and nice.

She was expected to go to school, do well and get a well paying job. Again, not a problem, considering she was working towards being a Healer.

She was expected to have good friends and make good decisions. This posed no problem. Being a Hufflepuff had it's advantages. Rarely was anyone bad, and they all helped each other decide.

The one last thing she had a choice in was a husband, as long as she loved him. It was her one chance to finally her out from under the overwhelming yet loving hand of her parents. It was her chance to be in charge of her own choice.

It wasn't going to be like that now.

Gad, she could kill He-Who-…Voldemort, if he wasn't dead already. It was his fault the war started in the first place. Shacklebolt was only trying to keep their race going. There was no fault in that, she decided.

Giving another silent but heartfelt sigh, she closed her eyes and let her head rest against the glass, the faint vibrations lulling her growing frustration into a restless sort of calm.

Time moved slowly aboard the quiet and subdued train. Soon, she was itching to get up and walk, to stretch her legs in the hallway with a few of her friends, like they did two years ago.

Giving a sad smile, she pushed up off the bench and quickly wound her hair back up in a bun and stuck her wand there for safe keeping. She remembered the mischievous grin on Kory's face as they passed the compartment some Slytherin's were in, and the resulting Dung Bomb. She could easily remember the complete star struck look in Leir's face as they ran into Lee Jordan coming out of the bathrooms, and the hilariously confused look on Daya's face as they fixed her too-short robes.

Quietly stepping out into the hallway, she felt her heart numb slightly as she thought about her closest friends. Kory was in St. Mungo's, her memory completely gone, along with most of her health. Leir was gone, killed by a rogue Death Eater on her way to her parent's house for Christmas. Daya was in hiding, having lost her precious innocence to the real world, becoming a spy during the war and having her cover blown during a raid on a Death Eater hot spot.

She wasn't the same either. She had done her fair share of fighting and healing. In a fit of helplessness during a bleak rainy afternoon, she had joined the St. Mungo's Battlefield Nurse Association. It took months of battle training and furiously fast courses of basic aid and complex healing spells, but she finally made it out onto the field.

Only to realize that most of the fights took place in homes, in shopping centers and forests, not in some distant place. If it hadn't sunken in that the war was real, this was the deal breaker. Having to deal with losing an innocent in heat of battle was something she would never be completely immune to.

Which, she reminded herself as her feet took her down a dark and silent corridor, wasn't all that bad. The crushing in her chest when the life left someone's eyes served as a reminder that she was still alive and able to still save a life. The tiny piece of heart that crumbled at each child's untimely death only made her work harder and faster to save another's life.

She could still remember the first child she loss. The little girls dark curling hair was up in pigtails, tied off with a bright green ribbon in each side. Her grey eyes were dull with the lack of vibrant life. In her little hands she was holding a worn stuffed cat, it's velvet nose worn with all the kisses placed there by an innocent soul.

She had kept that stuffed animal. It was in her truck even now. She kept it as a reminder to never, ever give up, no matter what she was doing, be it fighting for a life or holding back anger at a stupid person who spilled their coffee on her robe.

"Are you ok?" a voice asked, breaking her through her trip down memory lane.

Blinking away the images of dirty ribbons and loved toys, she realized that she had stopped walking in the middle of an aisle. Looking to her right, where the voice had come from, she saw another girl leaning up against an open doorway.

"Yeah, just got lost in my head." She said, realizing how ridiculous that sounded as soon as it was out ofe her mouth. The girl nodded though.

"I know what you mean. Memories are hard to ignore." The girl said, brown eyes coming up to meet her blue one.

She stood there for a moment, wondering what was going to happen next. She half expected the brunette to send her off again so she could be alone again, but that didn't happen.

The shorter girl took a step back into the empty compartment and tilted her head, inviting her to come in, then turning to go sit, a hand going up to readjust a bright pink headband.

Once they were both sitting, she looked up from where she had been unconsciously reading all the writing on the girls shoes, and gave a small smile.

"I'm Gianna."

"I'm Vera."

With only a nod, the two girls started forming a friendship that would brighten the lives of everyone there.

The rest of the train ride was spent in companionable silence, the occasional question breaking it. It was through these questions that she learned that this was Vera's first time to go to Hogwarts. She had attended Beaubaxton's until it has been almost totally destroyed by Death Eaters.

**(a/n)** so, waddya think? Should I continue?

Lovies!

~Loqui :)


	2. Chapter 2

**(a/n)** welcome back, lovies! this is a bit shorter than what i usually like to post, but i wanted to get it out of the way so i could start writing the next part. this time around, i have people hounding me to write, so here's to hoping i actually finish this story. :P

**_White Liar, 2_**

She shouldn't feel so surprised. She knew that, but her emotions weren't always under her control. She couldn't help the small feeling of despair when she saw just how few people had come back to Hogwarts.

They were all gathered in the Great Hall, something she learned last year was as per the usual. But instead of a deafening roar of talk and laughter, there were a few whispers from the handful that stood gathered in a tight huddle in the middle.

Standing next to Vera, she used her height advantage and searched the crowd for anyone she knew, any familiar face. The small stone in the pit of her stomach sank a little further when she didn't find anyone. Then, the stone lifted a little when the big double doors opened and three people walked in, a fourth trailing not far behind. She knew all four, if only by name and reputation.

Ron Weasley had a small scowl on his face as he listened to the brunette at his side, an arm around his sister's shoulder. Hermione Granger was waving her hands around angrily, stopping just outside the group to turn and throw a hateful glare in the direction of the fourth person.

Gianna stilled when she saw who it was. The face and build were the same, but gone was the haughty set of the shoulders, gone was the small lift of the chin that had him looking down his nose at everyone. He had circles under his eyes, hinting at several sleepless nights. It was a total opposite of how he looked before the war.

Yet, why was he here? She distinctly remembered hearing him accused of being a Death Eater, and she knew that he was supposed to have killed Dumbledore. The mere fact that he hadn't, that Snape –the evil, loathsome toad-had to step in and deliver the curse was enough to redeem him slightly in her mind. It wasn't enough for her to forgive him for everything, but it was enough to make her catch his gaze and nod at him, a hint of a smile on her lips.

Vera caught the gesture, and spun around to see who was the recipient. When she saw, she whirled around to glare at her, brown eyes blazing in fury.

"Why did you do that? He isn't welcome here, not after what he's done!" she cried loudly, voice echoing above the whispers and drawing a hushed silence from everyone. All eyes were fastened on them, making a small blush appear on Gianna's cheeks. She had never liked being the center of attention.

"He has every right to be here." She replied, hoping that was going to be the end of it. Alas, the fury remained.

"What? That killer has no right-!" Vera started, but stopped when Gianna raised an eyebrow and cut in.

"Killer?" she asked softly, voice still loud in the silence. She forgot, just for a moment that every eye was on her, and that she was probably making enemies as she spoke. She kept on though. If someone else wasn't going to stand up for what was right, then she was, damn the consequences.

"I am as much a killer as he is, Vera." She said, keeping a firm hold in her voice as two grey eyes swam into focus. "We all are, everyone who fought in the war, regardless if they were ever in a fight or not. Just by being a part of it, we killed."

"But they were Death Eaters! Scum!" a voice called from the edges of the group. Gianna turned to find who said it, and saw a brown haired boy, hazel eyes fairly sparkling with hate.

"Yes, they were Death Eaters. But they were still people underneath all the evil they did." She said, then shrugged, voice going softer. "They still had a soul." She all but whispered, mind flying back to the first cadaver she saw. The body was of a young boy, barely older than a teenager, the Dark Mark etched onto his arm. His eyes were wide open, mouth wide in shock. It was if he was crying out, saying that he regretted everything he did, he didn't want to die.

There was no time for anyone to refute her statement as the doors swung open and the familiar, strict figure of Professor McGonagal walked in, commanding attention without saying a word.

She started to talk, but Gianna wasn't listening. All her attention was on the pair of shocked light blue eyes that stared at her from underneath a white blonde fringe. It was as if no one had stood up for him before, and, as she remembered who he was, she had to admit that she couldn't remember if any one had either. People had stood up to him, that's for sure, but never for him.

Gianna wouldn't have been surprised if even his family hadn't stood up for him.

An light hand on her arm made her jump a little, and she tore her attention away and looked over her shoulder to see Vera standing there, an apologetic smile on her face.

"We're leaving."

Gianna nodded and stooped to pick up her backpack, slinging it over her shoulder with ease and was about to walk off toward the Hufflepuff common rooms when she stopped, turning on her heel to face Vera.

"Where are we staying?" she asked, seeing everyone moving together instead of splitting off into different groups.

"Since there are so few of us, we're all staying in one place. Girls are staying in the Gryffindor tower, while the guys are staying in the Hufflepuff's rooms." Vera said, then a grin took over her face, brightening up. "You didn't listen to anything McGonnagal said, didn't you?" she asked, and Gianna shook her head, groaning when Vera laughed.

* * *

Setting her quill down, Gianna winced as she stretched out her hand, easing the cramps that had built up during the two hours she'd been doing homework for. Across the table, Vera had books spread out everywhere, and she was furiously flipping back and forth between five books, tongue sticking out slightly as she concentrated.

Looking around her, Gianna could see that the entirety of the girls Common Room was littered with girls studying and writing. Some were hanging upside down from the couch, a book held inches away from their nose. Others were sprawled out on their stomach, heads propped up with a fist, books and papers around them in a complete circle.

They had been in classes for two weeks, and already they were loaded with homework. It was if the teachers were pounding the information into their skulls so they would never forget what they learned.

As if that would ever happen, Gianna thought, snorting a little at the thought. There were some things she wanted to forget, such as the most important ingredient to the Bowel Shrinkage potion.

She wanted to forget that the only way to make sure their race would stay hidden was to Obliviate memory. She wanted to forget that the most common way Death Eaters got people to do their bidding was to use the Imperio Curse. She wanted to forget-

Standing up so fast that her chair went flying backwards, Gianna ignored the slightly shocked look Vera sent her way and almost ran out of the room, barely remembering to grab her wand and stick it in the waistband of her pants.

Blurring eyes made it difficult to navigate the halls, but memory and instinct served her well. Soon she was standing in her favorite spot, eyes unseeingly staring at the stars that glittered in the night sky, lit up by a full moon, a few clouds drifting across its surface as a breeze blew past.

Up here, standing on the roof of Hogwarts, she could let her guard down for a little. Here, she could cry and not be seen. So she did.

She cried for all the lives that had been taken. She cried for the innocence lost. She cried for all the pain every single family was going through. She cried for every single parentless child, for every orphaned child, for every sister or brother who had a sibling torn from them.

Wrapping her arms around herself, she shivered in the cold air, heart cracking as she remembered all the children who would never play in the snow.

She cried for the children that would never be born. She cried for the wives that would never see their husbands again. She cried for the children waiting for mommy to come home, not knowing she never would.

She cried for the world without making a sound.

* * *

"Gianna?"

Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she looked up and saw Vera standing by her bed, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Shifting to the side, she made room for the girl to climb in next to her.

"Are you nervous?" Vera asked once she was laying on her back, deep brown eyes staring up at the goldy yellow and black bed curtain.

"No." Gianna said, burrowing further into the clashing purple quilt, trying to retain some of the warmth, and closing her eyes.

"You're not nervous about finding out who your future husband is going to be?" Vera asked, turning to stare at Gianna as though she had a horn growing out of her forehead. "The man who you have to spend the rest of your life with? Who you have to have children with? Any of that ring a bell?" Vera's voice soared on the last question, breaking in the last word.

Gianna sighed, and opened her eyes to look at her friend who was fast becoming a little sister.

"No." she said again. "I'm not nervous. Apprehensive, maybe, but not nervous. It's a waste of energy. Why should I be nervous? If he's ugly, then he's ugly. I'll have to get used to it. If he has a temper, I'll learn how to deal and he will learn not to underestimate me. If he's a snob, I'll just shove his wand up his… nose."

Vera cracked a grin at the quick change of words, and Gianna let a small smile cross her mouth, then continued, with sincerity.

"Truth is, Vera, whoever he is, he is probably just as worked up about it as you or I. He doesn't know who he is going to marry either."

There was silence as Vera contemplated what she had said, and Gianna closed her eyes again, ready to fall back asleep at any moment.

"I hate it when you're so stupidly calm." Vera muttered, and Gianna grinned before curling up in a ball. Today was a rare free day for her, and she was going to sleep as much as she could.

If Vera would let her, that is.

The last thought that crossed her mind was that her friend had way to much energy before letting blissful sleep take over.

**

* * *

**

**(a/n)** there you have it! sorry about all the angst. it really wasn't intentional, swear. please let me know what you think!

~Loqui


	3. Chapter 3

**(a/n)** I liiiive! (heh, i love mushu.) here is the latest installment of White Liar! please forgive the tardiness of this chapter. my muse was being drowned by school and work and life. ah. life, i shake my fist at you! without further ado, enjoy!

**DISCLAIMER!** i no ownie. duh.

_**White Liar**_

_by:_

LoquaciousLethality

Humming under her breath, Gianna stepped over the threshold into the Gryffindor common rooms, her bag hanging off a shoulder while her arms carried the books that wouldn't fit into the bag.

It took her a few seconds to realize that something was wrong, and another second to realize that the problem was that the common room was absolutely silent. Considering that the tower was being inhabited by girls, the silence was unnerving.

Looking up from where she had been staring at her books, Gianna saw a group of girls huddled together, staring at a piece of parchment that had been tacked to the wall. Glancing around, Gianna saw Vera sitting on one of the couches by the unlit fireplace. Juggling the teetering pile of books, she made her way to where Vera was sitting, head in her hands, fingers tangled in her hair.

Not saying anything, Gianna dropped her bag on the floor and let the books fall to the table. Vera barely noticed, blinking at Gianna when she sat down next to her friend.

"What's going on?" Gianna asked softly, folding her hands in her lap.

"They posted the dates for the Joining." Vera muttered as she untangled her fingers.

Gianna sat back in the couch, calmly pulling the hem of her school skirt back down over her knees, while she fought to keep from freaking out on the inside.

True, it had been almost two months since she had received the letter, but it still felt like this was happening too fast. It didn't help at all that she had no flipping clue as to who she was marrying.

Looking at Vera, she wasn't surprised to see her friend wiping away a tear. When she looked around the common room, she saw other girls crying. Even Hermione, the studious and stoic one, was sitting in an armchair, furiously wiping her cheeks. And even though Hermione had steadfastly ignored her and gone out of her own way to avoid her, Gianna couldn't help the sigh that escaped her.

An idea came to her as she stared at all those sad faces, and when it began to grow, Gianna hid a smile and stood up, catching Vera's attention.

"Follow me." She told her friend, then looked up to all the other girls who were now looking at her. "All of you, follow me."

She started to make her way to the portrait door when Hermione's voice, sounding slightly stuffy, stopped her.

"Why? Why should they follow you? You side with Malfoy!" Hermione accused. Gianna stood still for a moment before turning around to face a red nosed Hermione.

"I just want to make them smile again." Gianna said, giving a one shouldered shrug, purposely ignoring the jab about siding with Draco. "We've all been sad for long enough. It's time to start smiling again. You don't have to come if you don't want to. I'm not forcing anyone."

"Well, it's Friday and we've got studying to do. I don't think we have the time to act like silly nitwits." Hermione said, folding her arms over her chest.

There was a second of silence.

"I'm coming." Vera stated proudly, standing up from the couch and moving to stand next to Gianna.

Breaking eye contact with Hermione, Gianna smiled at Vera, glad to have a loyal friend at her side.

"I'm coming too." Another voice said loudly, and everyone turned to look as Ginny Weasley stood up, tucking her red hair behind her ear. "I'm ready to smile again." She said, looking straight at Hermione as she said this.

Gianna nodded at Ginny as she went to stand by Vera.

"Come find us when you are ready." Gianna said, nodding her head towards the portrait entrance.

Turning around, she started walking, Vera and Ginny at her side.

"You're mad." Vera said, a huge grin on her face as she sat on top of a mattress at the start of the huge staircase. "I just wanted to let you know."

Gianna grinned, and reached into the pocket of her pajama pants and took out a bottle of silly string.

"Oh. Yes." Vera said, an evil glint in her eye. "Get me started." She commanded, and Gianna laughed as she gave her friend the shove that would send her and the mattress sliding down the staircase. Shrieks of laughter followed as Vera shot the contents of the can at the other girls who were making their way back up the staircase, mattresses hovering above them.

Gianna stood at the top, smiling as she watched all the other girls go flying down the stairs. Everyone was in their pajamas now, and someone had enchanted a record player to blast a famous pop group. Her idea was turning out to be a great one. Even Hermione, after hearing all the shouts and laughter, had joined, and she was the first one to try standing on the mattress as it slid down. She had even apologized before she went careening down.

"Are you going to have a try?" Ginny said, cheeks pink from laughter and her hair up in a messy bun, similar to Gianna's.

"No thank. I'm good." Gianna said, tugging at the edge of her tanktop. "I've done this plenty of times before."

"Then show us how its done!" another girl, Mattie, cried from her spot halfway up the stairs.

"I never said I was good at it." Gianna laughed, remembering the time she had fallen flat on her face.

A chorus of 'Come on!' and 'Do it!' filled the air along with general whistling.

"All right, but if I end up flat on my face, I'm blaming it on the lot of you." Gianna called back as she conjured up a mattress and placed it at the top. Climbing onto it, she stuck her wand into her bun and made sure it was secure before rocking forward.

Just that simple move was enough to send her over the edge and flying down the stairs. She couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out as she felt the wind in her face. Everything flew by, colors were blurred together.

This is what it must feel like to ride a broom, Gianna thought.

The end of the stairs was fast approaching, and Gianna tried to ready herself for the landing. It was always the landing that messed her up. Internally, Gianna shrugged.

She had warned them that she wasn't any good.

Sure enough, as soon as the mattress hit level ground, Gianna stumbled forward and rolled off. She kept on rolling until she ended up in a dark corridor, being stopped by a wall.

"Ow." Was all she said as she laid there, getting her breath back from her rather epic fail.

"You alright?" a low voice asked, and a familiar figure stepped out of the shadows, light blue eyes looking straight into hers.

"Um. Yes, I think so." Gianna nodded from where she was sprawled on the floor and made to get up. A hand appearing in front of her face stopped her. Looking up, she saw the apprehension in his eyes. He was expecting her to refuse his help, or get angry.

She'd seen enough evidence in the last two months to know that he was changed. Nobody seemed to realize it yet, and so he was treated like a leper.

Making a split decision, she reached out and grabbed onto his hand, somewhat surprised to feel all the calluses on his palm and awed by the strength with which he held her hand.

The look in his eyes when she finally looked back at him, after dusting herself off, was one of veiled surprise. Appreciation was in there too.

"Thanks." She said, nodding her head in genuine thanks. "See you in Transfiguration tomorrow."

It was faint, but she swore she saw the beginning of a smile playing on the edge of his mouth as she turned and walked back to the lit up staircase.

It wasn't until she was halfway up the stairs before she realized that she had just talked to Draco Malfoy in a dark corridor, wearing nothing more than a tank top (with a bra on under, thank Godric), and her short sleeping shorts.

Good Godric, that man was going to get her into all sorts of trouble. Funnily enough, Gianna didn't find herself minding that thought much.

It scared her. It excited her.

It made her head hurt.

**(a/n)** sooo...worth the wait? No, i didn't think so either. Review, and help me keep going! Ideas and suggestions are more than welcome. In fact, they are coveted! Oooh...big word there gals. I'm more tired than I thought. Ta!

~ : )

Loqui


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